The Denison softball team split Sunday's doubleheader at Mount St. Joseph. The Big Red fell in game one, 3-0, but picked up a 2-1 victory in eight innings in the finale.

In the nightcap, the Lions grabbed an early 1-0 lead after plating a run in the bottom of the first inning. It remained a one-run game until the top of the sixth when Denison finally pushed a run across. Senior Julie Rooney led off the inning with a double and moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Mckinly Vazquez. With two outs, freshman first baseman Lauren Secaras plated Rooney from third with single.

Neither team would score again in regulation.  In the top of the eighth, Rooney was placed on second base via the international tiebreaker rule. Vazquez quickly sacrificed her to third to put her 60 feet away from breaking the tie. Sophomore Kerry Hager followed with a single that gave Denison its first lead of the game at 2-1.

In the bottom of the frame, Mallory Wright was placed on second for Mount St. Joseph. Morgan Hoehn sacrificed her fellow senior to third with a bunt which set up a situation similar to the Big Red's in the top of the inning. Looking to drive game-tying run in, Paige Norton belted a line drive to center field for what looked like a run producing at-bat. However, Vazquez came up with an amazing shoe-string catch for the second out of the inning. Not looking to wait for the next hitter, Wright took off from third which forced a throw from the freshman center fielder. Vazquez threw a frozen rope to sophomore catcher Anna Balch who applied the tag to Wright, bringing the extra-inning game to an end.

In addition to the walk-off double play, the Big Red had another highlight as junior Annie McAuliffe recorded her first-career hit in her first-collegiate start at Denison. With one out in the fifth, McAuliffe roped a single to center in her second plate appearance of the day. Rooney had DU's lone extra-base hit of the game and scored both Big Red runs. Sophomore Erin Laswell earned her fourth win of the year after surrending one run on seven hits with a career-high eight strikeouts.

In game one, the Lions scored a run in the first and added two more in the fourth en route to the 3-0 victory. Secaras went 2-for-3 at the plate, while freshman Marlie Mounts registered the other hit for the Big Red. Secaras also took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts.

Denison (10-12) returns to action on Tuesday (April 14) when they travel to Kenyon for a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader with the Ladies. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

NOTE: Sunday's doubleheader was played in honor of Lauren Hill, a Mount St. Joseph student-athlete that lost her battle with brain cancer on Friday (April 10). Both teams wore special jerseys (pictured left) with Lauren's name and number on the back. Prior to the start of the game, Lauren's sister threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Denison softball team also made a donation to The Cure Starts Now Foundation.